A Few of My Favourite Things

While news of vaccines on the way are a bright point of hope, it seems we all have some months ahead of coping with a COVID-19 winter. My father, who is 88 and lives alone, is normally busy helping others and socializing with friends in my hometown of Camrose, Alberta. But as the numbers rose and we faced the prospect that we would not be together for Christmas for the first time ever, he told me that he had resolved to call two people a day to help break his own isolation and that of others at the same time.

I thought it might be a good idea to ask people in the diocese about the things — small and simple or bigger and more ambitious— that bring them comfort, peace, joy, inspiration… and to share those thoughts and ideas. And once that brought to mind the song and movie image of Julie Andrews singing to seven children on a stormy night, I couldn’t resist the title (or watching that scene on YouTube.) And since it will be some time before this “silver white winter melts into spring,” please do write to Crosstalk and share your own remedies for COVID fatigue.

Marian McGrath
St. Mary Magdalene, Chelsea

I just got back from skiing in the Gatineau Park from P5 on Trail #1 Ridge Road to Kingsmere. I started my ski season on Nov. 23 and today was my 5th day in a row. My goal is to go skiing (cross-country or downhill)  100 times this winter. I call it “snow-cial distancing.” I love to ski and the Gatineau Park is such a blessing! Stay safe.

Sending you good cheer from Chelsea, Marian McGrath

Jane Waterston
Crosstalk Designer

Small group activity has always been one of the best things about church and other parts of life, and I find it to be wonderfully alive and different during the era of social distancing. Thanks to Zoom. 

St. Margaret’s Sunday School, which I coordinate, meets for 15-20 minutes on Zoom before the 10 a.m. church service. While only a handful of families participate, I am loving having parents as well as children in the conversation. 

Every Monday at 11:30 a.m., I meet up with my four siblings and mother for 40 minutes online. Because interrupting and talking over each other spoils any Zoom session, we are now structuring the thing a bit — we each tell a little story (with a beginning, middle and end) from our daily life. There are way more laughs and insights, the bond is strengthening, and the bonus is we are all getting to be better raconteurs.

My other small groups happen monthly. 

The friends I used to go to art galleries with in pre-COVID times meet up for an hour of Art Thoughts via Zoom. The four of us, from the comfort and security of our homes, visit illustrious galleries (Louvre, New South Wales, Tate, MOMA…) enjoying their digital collections and virtual tours, and sometimes taking lovely deep dives into Google images.  Dawna, the artist among us, chooses the subjects and kindly does some advance research. I host the sessions and manage the screensharing.  A totally enjoyable way to hang out together — COVID Culture.

And then there is the Cathedral labyrinth guild—meeting on the 22nd of each month for a spiritual, intellectual and social stretch.  What a super group that is.

There is nothing like dance and music, however, to bolster spirits when the day is grey and the stats are high.  My go-tos on YouTube are: 

• Two step Cowboy boots (2.39 minutes — I must have watched it 200 times), and

• Thirteen Strings Respighi’s Bergamasca (6 minutes, recorded in November at dear old Dominion-Chalmers. Together for the first time since the pandemic and glad.

The Rev. Aigah Attagutsiak
St. Margaret’s Vanier

Sewing is something I like to do. I can make anything. You name it, I can make it—slippers, mittens, kamiks, keychains….That’s our culture. Nobody really taught us when we were kids, we just learned by looking at our parents.

Donna Rourke
Youth Internship Program (YIP)Coordinator

What brings me comfort and joy during these COVID days are when my young adult kids and their partners come to visit Rick and I. I also enjoy listening to music and podcasts while I walk on my new treadmill and time spent with YIP and Seniors in Conversation participants.

Naomi
Intern for St Albans     

To keep my spirit during this time, I’ve been participating in a Christian Zoom hang every Saturday. I recently discovered that I enjoy Youtube dance workouts. They’ve helped me stay active and happy.

Lizzy
Alumni and 2020/2021 Mentor 

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of crafting in my spare time, things like knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, and digital art. To try and make this holiday a bit extra special, I also decided to send out homemade Christmas cards for the first time. And of course, I’ve been playing my favourite video games online with my friends too!

Emily
Intern PWRDF 

What is keeping my spirits up in this pandemic that has started to feel endless is the daily walk with my mom. It has almost become a pilgrimage we make around the neighborhood, watching the seasons change and meeting neighbours doing yard work or walking their dogs. Some days it feels like all we have to do! Getting outside and active is super important to me.

Steven Heiter
2020 Supervisor/Mentor

To cope with COVID I am engaging in several of my favourite hobbies, which includes silversmithing and lapidary, painting, drawing, playing live music with friends in my “bubble,” birdwatching and watching U.S. College football on television. I’m a warden at Epiphany Parish, and an active and involved member of the YIP program.

Jefferson
Intern for Epiphany

I have been getting involved in physical activities in order to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. I am working out as much as possible and going to football training. I also play video games and watch Youtube videos when I am not busy with school work.                                                                                                                                            

The Rev. Dr. Peter John Hobbs
Director of Community Ministries

The challenges during the pandemic have been very real.  Taking care of ourselves at home has been a source of blessing.   Long talks, many walks, staying connected with loved ones (lots of Zoom), home prayers, good meals, and lots of projects around the house have helped to lift our spirits. 

Garth Hampson
Christ Church Cathedral

For the past 56 years I have performed monthly at the chapel service at St. Vincent’s Hospital at the top of the hill near the Cathedral. Last fall, before COVID, I met Dick Clark. He and his wife Margie had retired to Victoria. While working on his house, he fell off the roof and broke his neck, leaving him totally immobile. They moved back to Ottawa to be nearer family and, of course, he will have to remain in St. Vincent’s. Now trained as a caregiver, Margie attends to him from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Last Thursday was his birthday, and I just could not let it go by without some sort of celebration, so I told my fellow RCMP veterans (about 600 of them) who in turn told members of the Lutheran church. Letters, cards, emails and stories came in from across Canada. There was even a card from the former commissioner of the RCMP, Phil Murray. There must have been close to 70 messages of good will sent to Dick [from people he didn’t even know]. I feel so bad for those who are alone or isolated, and this action lets people know that just the signing of a card to a shut-in can bring great pleasure. One of the larger packages came from Vegreville where I used to police back in the ‘60s. It will be good when the pandemic is over, and our little group can get back to providing music for chapel services at the hospital. I’m sure the residents will appreciate that.